Agreeing to direct payments

Direct payments allow you to receive cash payments from your local council instead of care services.

You can only have direct payments if you, or someone acting on your behalf, agrees to the payments being made. This agreement is called giving consent.

The person giving consent must:

• have a free choice

• accept the responsibilities resulting from their choice

• have the mental capacity to give consent

To give consent you don't have to be able to understand completely how direct payments work.

Giving consent is not the same as being able to manage the direct payments on your own. You might be capable of giving consent to get direct payments, but still need support to manage the payments.

Acting for someone else

If the person with the care needs can't give consent, the local council can make direct payments to a ‘suitable person’ who is willing to receive the direct payments, on their behalf.

If a 'suitable person' has to be appointed, the council's first choice would usually be a court-appointed deputy, or someone who has a lasting power of attorney.

If there's no-one with these powers other people will be considered.

You can read about appointing a ‘suitable person’ on the Social Care Wales website.